Air Pollutants ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Particulate Matter

Air Pollution ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Particulate Matter

Objective To detect quantitatively AKAP12 methylation and evaluate its clinical significance in peripheral blood in colorectal cancer. Methods MS-HRM technology was used to detect quantitatively AKAP12 methylation in peripheral blood from 80 colorectal cancer patients and 20 healthy volunteers. They also validated the reproducibility and compared with MSP. Results Thirty-eight of the 80 colorectal cancer samples (47. 5% ) were found to be methylated at the AKAP12 promoter region by MS-HRM (the methylation levels of 24 cancer samples ranged between 1 % and 20% , the methylation levels of 12 cancer samples ranged between 20% and 60% , the methylation levels of 2 cancer samples ranged between 60% and 100% ). The methylation levels of 2 health samples were less than 10% . They also compared the results generated by MS-HRM with a traditional MSP assay. The AKAP12 MS-HRM assay was able to reproducibly detect 1% AKAP12 methylated DNA, whereas the MSP method was unable to detect less than 10% methylation. No significant correlation was observed between the AKAP12 methylation levels and patients' age and gender. However, AKAP12 methylation was significantly higher in DNA from colorectal cancer patients with high Dukes stage and differentiation (x2 =5. 93 or 8. 41, P = 0.01). Conclusions The authors demonstrate here for the first time, the utility of quantitative AKAP12 MS-HRM analysis of promoter methylation in peripheral blood samples. AKAP12 MS-HRM quantitative methods have many promising applications in the detection of colorectal cancer.

Objective To study the changes of plasma cystatin C level (PcyC),and evaluate the effects of the joint use of atorvastatin and probucol on PcyC and severity of coronary lesion in patients with borderline lesion of coronary artery.Methods One hundred and thirty consecutive patients with borderline coronary lesion assessed by quantitative coronary angiography were enrolled into borderline coronary lesion group (BCL),and another 136 subjects without coronary lesion were enrolled as controls (CTR).And in the meantime,the subjects in BCL group were randomized (closed envelope method) into routine treatment subgroup ( RTT,n =60),and combined treatment subgroup in which patients were treated with atorvastatin 20 mg plus probucol 1.0 g daily in addition to routine medication ( CBT,n =70) for 6 months.There were no statistical differences in basic clinical features between two subgroups.PcyC,high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP),total cholesterol (TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) and triglycerides (TG) were determined.Of them,104 patients in BCL group rechecked by coronary angiography.Comparison of biomarkers carried out between two groups by using a number of independent-sample t-test and analysis of variance.For enumeration data,chi-square test was used to compare mean values of biomarkers between groups. P ＜ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results PcyC levels were significantly higher in BCL group than those in CTR group ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Compared with RTT subgroup,levels of PcyC,TC,LDL-C,TG and hs-CRP were more significantly decreased in CBT subgroup (P ＜ 0.05,P ＜ 0.01 ).Moreover,there was a trend of slight decrease in the mean percent of stenosis (MPS) of coronary artery with borderline lesion in RTT subgroup treated for 6 months,whereas more marked decrease in the MPS of coronary artery with borderline coronary lesion in CBT subgroup treated for 6 months ( P ＞ 0.05 ; P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Cystatin C plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery,and PcyC is associated with severity of coronary lesion,the combination of atorvastatin and probucol decreases the PcyC level,and it may be the treatment of choice for borderline lesion of coronary artery.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Guinea Pigs ; Heart Ventricles ; Ion Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; physiology ; Promethazine ; pharmacology ; Terfenadine ; pharmacology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) induced endothelial injury and the efficacy and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 on the inhibition of endothelium injuries in human endothelial cells exposure to PM(2.5).

METHODSHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with various concentrations PM(2.5) (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mg/ml) and PM(2.5) at concentration 0.8 mg/ml induced significant endothelial injury and was chosen for the main study in the presence or absence of Rg1 (0.04 mg/ml). After 24 h treatment, cell growth A value was detected through MTT, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level through fluorescence labeling probe method and HO-1, Nrf2 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe cell A value was significantly lower while the ROS fluorescence gray value and the average optical density ratio of HO-1 were significantly higher in PM(2.5) group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). The average optical density ratio of Nrf2 was similar between PM(2.5) group and control group (P > 0.05). The A value and the average optical density ratio of HO-1 were significantly higher while the ROS fluorescence gray value was significantly lower in co-treated PM(2.5) (0.8 mg/ml) + Rg1 (0.04 mg/ml) group than in the PM(2.5) (0.8 mg/ml) group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPM(2.5) could induce human endothelial cells injury by increasing oxidative stress which could be attenuated by ginsenoside Rg1.

Cells, Cultured ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Particulate Matter ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiological characters and risk factors of renal calculi in Shenzhen for future intervention.

METHODSRisk factors of renal calculi were analyzed by factor analysis and linear structural relation model, followed by fitting and evaluating the model.

RESULTSThe prevalence rates of renal calculi were 8.00% and 5.12% in males and females. The results of LISEREL showed that the total effect of age and sex affecting the development of renal calculi was 0.4614, with directly effect 0.3600 and indirect 0.1014. The direct effects of blood uric acid, blood calcium and body mass index, blood cholesterol, blood sugar were 0.3400 and 0.3200 respectively. The indirect effect of education, exercise and dietary habit affected the development of renal calculi through index of biochemistry and obesity, were -0.0416 and 0.1882.

CONCLUSIONSex, age, obesity and high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood uric acid, high blood calcium were the direct influencing factors to renal calculi. At the same time, education, exercise and dietary habit were also associated with the disease.

Age Factors ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Constitution ; physiology ; Calcium ; blood ; China ; epidemiology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Exercise ; physiology ; Feeding Behavior ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; epidemiology ; Linear Models ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Social Class ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Uric Acid ; blood

Objective To evaluate the relationship between plasma cystatin C concentration (PcyC) and coronary artery diseases (CAD). Method A total of 126 subjects with CAD evidenced by coronary angiography admitted from April 2007 to March 2009 were divided into three groups: stable angina pectoris (SAPs, n = 34),unstable angina pectoris (UAPs, n = 56) and acute myocardial infarction (AMIs, n = 36), according to the diag-nostic criteria of CAD set by WHO. Another 34 subjects without CAD were taken as controls. There were no statis-tical differences in demographics among four groups. Serum lipids profile, uric acid (UA), PcyC and high-sensi-tive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were determined. And in the meantime, all patients were followed up for six months and adverse cardiovascular events were recorded. Comparisons were made between groups with a number of independent-sample t -tests. Data were processed with analysis of variance to test the differences in means among four groups, and the means were compared with chi-square test. Statistical significance was established at a P val-ue of less than 0.05. Results Cystatin C levels were significantly higher in UAPs than that in SAPs and in controls (P < 0.05), but were much lower than that in AMIs (P < 0.05). And much higher concentration of hs-CRP was found in UAPs (P < 0.05) and in AMIs (P < 0.01). Cystatin C was positively and significantly corre-lated with age, hs-CRP, WBC, creatinine and UA (r > 0, P < 0.05), whereas a significantly negative correla-tion with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was found (r = - 0.227, P < 0.05). These coefficients were obvi-ously high for creatinine (r = + 0. 612), and WBC (r = + 0.459). During the period of six-month follow-up, 26 patients with adverse cardiovascular events were found, and had significantly higher cystatin C levels than 22 con-trols at admission (P < 0.01). Conclusions Cystatin C plays a pivotal role in the course of CAD, and the PcyC is a strong predictor for the risk of cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the involvement of heme oxygenase (HO-1) in PM2.5 induced toxic responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODSThe experiment groups are as follows: (1) control group; (2) PM2.5 groups: the cells were cultured with various concentrations of PM2.5 (200, 400, 800 µg/ml) for 24 h and 400 µg/ml was chosen for the main study; (3) PM2.5+Trion group: the cells were pre-treated by 10 µmol/L Trion [a scavenger of reactive oxygen species(ROS)] for 1 h before PM2.5 (400 µg/ml) treatment for 24 h; (4) PM2.5+ZnPP group: the cells were pretreated by HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP (10 µmol/L) for 1 h before treatment with PM2.5 (400 µg/ml) for 24 h. MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and indirect immunofluorescence assay were used to determine the mRNA and protein expressions of HO-1. Fluorescence labeling probe method was used to measure intracellular ROS level and flow cytometry was used for cell apoptosis. Colorimetric assay was used to detect intracellular caspase-3 activity.

RESULTSCompared with control, PM2.5 significantly decreased cell viability, increased intracellular ROS, cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activity (all P < 0.05), these effects were significantly attenuated in PM2.5+Tiron group while enhanced in PM2.5+ZnPP group (all P < 0.05 vs. PM2.5 group). PM2.5 upregulated HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions in HUVECs which was downregulated in both PM2.5+Tiron group and PM2.5+ZnPP group.

CONCLUSIONPM2.5 could induce oxidative injury through increasing ROS production via modulating HO-1 mRNA and protein expressions, the injury could be aggravated with inhibition of the activity of HO-1 suggesting a potential protective role of HO-1 against PM2.5 induced oxidative stress in HUVECs.

Cells, Cultured ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; enzymology ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Particle Size ; Particulate Matter ; adverse effects ; Protoporphyrins ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo examine the significance of individual risk on diabetes to subjects who underwent diabetes screening.

METHODS2003 asymptomatic diabetes subjects with high-risk factors of diabetes as family history, obesity, hypertension, and/or dyslipidemia, fetal giant history were screened. 5362 subjects having no risk factors but from the same community were allocated as controls.

RESULTSThere were 131 (6.54%) diabetes identified in the screening group and 1547 (77.23%) subjects having 1 risk factor, 387 (19.27%) having 2 risk factors, 70 (3.49%) having 3 or more risk factors. There were 96 (1.79%) diabetes identified in the control group. Compared with control group, the OR (95% CI) value was 2.68 (2.20-3.25) after adjusted on age among the high risk group. The OR value of those having 1 risk factor was 2.89, but these having 3 or more risk factors increased to 4.68.

CONCLUSIONThe relation between the risk of high-risk group with diabetes and the number of risk factors of diabetes presented positive correlation. Early and regular screening for diabetes was essential in these individuals with high-risk factors.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; epidemiology ; etiology ; genetics ; Family Health ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; epidemiology ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoking